Novavax vaccine needed as AZ vaccine in 65 and up postponed

Additional Novavax vaccine doses should be purchased to keep vaccination on schedule

The South Korean government seems to be considering on purchasing more doses of other COVID-19 vaccine options as the government has decided to hold off on inoculating the age group over 65 with AstraZeneca’s vaccine.

 

Originally, the 65-and-up age group was supposed to be vaccinated within the first quarter, but it has been pushed to the second quarter.

 

And now the need for Novavax vaccine is heightened.

 

On Feb.

 

15, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) disclosed the first quarter COVID-19 vaccination plan.

 

The agency official said 272,000 occupants and inmates aged under 65 admitted to long-term nursing hospital or houses and related workers would be vaccinated first from late February, followed by 352,000 high-risk healthcare providers, 78,000 COVID-19 first responders including 119 emergency service, epidemiologist and disease control workers, and 55,000 COVID-19 patient-treating hospital workers.

 

The government has secured AstraZeneca vaccine doses for 702,000 people and Pfizer vaccine doses for 55,000 people.

 

The age group over 65, initially planned to be vaccinated within the first quarter, would have to wait until the second quarter due to insufficient efficacy data on AstraZeneca vaccine.

 

About 370,000 people’s vaccination schedule would be pushed from the first to second quarter.

 

However, the delay could cause a vaccine shortage in the second quarter as the number of eligible subjects would soar.

 

And to prepare for the shortage, the South Korean government would need to additionally purchase more vaccine doses.

 

Also, the government should be concerned the expected date of AstraZeneca’s vaccine efficacy confirmation in the elderly group is unknown, and predictability in vaccines developed by Janssen and Moderna is unreliable as well.

 

Accordingly, the South Korean government is working on purchasing additional doses of Novavax vaccine with completed clinical trial in the U.K.

 

Currently, SK Bioscience is manufacturing the Novavax vaccine under a consignment contract.

 

The two companies have reportedly working on a licensing agreement as well.

 

If the license-in deal gets sealed, the government plans to purchase additional doses for 20 million people from SK Bioscience.

 

Recently, Novavax presented data on clinical trial with satisfying level of efficacy in the 65-and-up age group.

 

The trial tested the vaccine on 15,000 people in the U.K.

 

ranging from age 18 to 84, in which 89.3 percent of them demonstrated a successful preventive effect.

 

27 percent of the participants aged over 65 also showed successful rate.

 

Meanwhile, AstraZeneca’s vaccine showed only 7.4 percent response rate in participants aged over 65, not enough to confirm the efficacy in the age group.

 

But if the South Korean government is to procure additional doses of Novavax vaccines, the vaccination gap in the elderly age group created by AstraZeneca’s vaccine could be filled.

 

The government sees that Novavax vaccine could be introduced in the second quarter at earliest.

 

Director Jeong Eun-kyeong of KDCA briefed that “The South Korean government has almost reached the final stage of signing a contract for the additional Novavax vaccine doses.

 

The vaccination for the age group over 65 would start when the COVAX-AstraZeneca vaccine, Novavax vaccine and other vaccine supply schedules are set.” Nevertheless, Novavax vaccine also has its own uncertainty.

 

First, the company has to complete the license-out deal with SK Bioscience.

 

Moreover, other countries’ emergency use authorization application for Novavax vaccines should be processed in March at earliest.

 

The government’s plan to introduce the vaccine in May would be possible only if all the expected schedules proceed without an issue.

 

Regardless of the uncertainty, Novavax vaccine has comparatively less uncertainty than other imported vaccines as they are manufactured domestically.

 

Imported vaccines tend to have more unforeseen issues in approval date and supply.

 

MFDS has already conducted a preliminary review on Janssen’s vaccine to be supplied in the second quarter, but the ministry has not reported any update on Moderna vaccine.

 

And because they would be manufactured outside of South Korea, they would likely to struggle to supply the vaccines on schedule.

 

The COVAX-Pfizer vaccine, which should have been introduced in mid February, has been delayed.

 

Ultimately, Novavax vaccine should be secured to timely unfold the vaccination plan on the 65-and-up age group in the second quarter.